Japan’s 30-year government bonds dropped, sending the yield to the highest in a decade amid a selloff in global debt.
The yield rose one basis point to 1.73% as of 10:16 a.m. in Tokyo on Friday, a peak last seen in 2013, and follows the 20-year yield reaching the highest since 2014 on Thursday.
Japanese bonds face pressure on many fronts, from inflation above the central bank’s target to elevated Treasury yields and expectations the Federal Reserve will keep borrowing costs higher for longer.
Consumer price gains in Japan have remained above the central bank’s 2% goal for an extended period, partly fueled by the depreciation of the yen and the wide yield gap with the US. Data Friday showed core consumer prices in Tokyo, which excludes fresh food, climbed 2.5% in September on year.
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda on Monday stuck with his cautious stance on the outlook for inflation, reinforcing the message he delivered last week indicating an end to negative interest rates isn’t around the corner. Global investors and policymakers are keeping a close eye on the possible shift in the Japanese monetary policy because higher yields at home may encourage repatriation of funds by local investors who own debt from the US to Europe to Australia.
